Critical Role Explorer's Guide to Wildemount Rockets to #1 In 'All Books' on Amazon

When the Amazon page for Explorer's Guide to Wildemount leaked, the book went straight to #15 in all books (not just games, or even just fantasy - all books!) on Amazon before WotC had even said a word about it. It quickly jumped to #3 on Monday, and as of today... it is currently sitting at #1. In ALL books.

Screenshot for posterity!
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It sits there, just above Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, Profiles in Corruption: Abuse of Power by America's Progressive Elite by Peter Schweizer (note -- that is not an invitation to start discussing American politics on EN World), and Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson.

Last year, Critical Role's Kickstarter for an animated show based on their livestream smashed records and raised over $11,000,000. It then went on to get picked up by Amazon for a full series. While there are people on the web confidently declaring that this book will never sell, I think it's safe to say not only will it sell, it already has. Critical Role these days is a brand as strong as D&D itself. Indeed, a couple of years back when speaking to the Seattle Times, WotC indicated that more than 50% of new player watched live-streamed games.

 

[HawaiiSteveO]

 

[Paul Farquhar]

"Where the Crawdads sing" - sounds like this was ghost-written by H. P. Lovecraft!

In dread R'lyeh, where the crawdads sing.

 

[Delazar]

I've been playing an online West-Marches style game set in the world of Exandria since 2017, met wonderful people, and still going strong.

It is simply undeniable that CR is one of the best things to ever happen to DnD and the RPG community at large since the invention of the d20...

 

[imagineGod]

When the Amazon page for Explorer's Guide to Wildemount leaked, the book went straight to #15 in all books (not just games, or even just fantasy - all books!) on Amazon before WotC had even said a word about it. It quickly jumped to #3 on Monday, and as of today... it is currently sitting at #1. In ALL books.

View attachment 117471
Screenshot for posterity!
​

It sits there, just above Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, Profiles in Corruption: Abuse of Power by America's Progressive Elite by Peter Schweizer (note -- that is not an invitation to start discussing American politics on EN World), and Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson.

Last year, Critical Role's Kickstarter for an animated show based on their livestream smashed records and raised over $11,000,000. It then went on to get picked up by Amazon for a full series. While there are people on the web confidently declaring that this book will never sell, I think it's safe to say not only will it sell, it already has. Critical Role these days is a brand as strong as D&D itself. Indeed, a couple of years back when speaking to the Seattle Times, WotC indicated that more than 50% of new player watched live-streamed games.

There clearly is strong demand despite what some naysayers here were suggesting. Sales figures do not lie.

Well done Matt Mercer and the Critical Role team and fans.

 

[eyeheartawk]

There clearly is strong demand despite what some naysayers here were suggesting. Sales figures do not lie.

Well done Matt Mercer and the Critical Role team and fans.

How many of those naysayers here do you think will buy the book?

I'm not a huge fan of this release conceptually, but I'm still buying it because it has new mechanical options, something we don't get a whole ton of, from WotC anyway.

I mean, any new D&D book was basically going to sell to the crowd here, no?

 

[imagineGod]

How many of those naysayers here do you think will buy the book?

I'm not a huge fan of this release conceptually, but I'm still buying it because it has new mechanical options, something we don't get a whole ton of, from WotC anyway.

I mean, any new D&D book was basically going to sell to the crowd here, no?

Basically, Matt Mercer, himself, said it best. This book is still a good addition to the D&D multiverse regardless of any DM's or Player's personal preference. And not everyone needs to purchase this particular book to enjoy D&D. But its existence does not take away the possibility that new Campaign Books for Planescape 5th Edition will be shelved because Explorer's Guide to Wildermount was published.


Hopefully, one day the fandom will grow up and help those who like certain things to find those things, while those who do not like certain things can also express their own preferences without drowning conversations in floods of negativity.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I'm not a huge fan of this release conceptually, but I'm still buying it because it has new mechanical options, something we don't get a whole ton of, from WotC anyway.

You can buy just the bits you want on D&D Beyond.

 

[werecorpse]

Very impressive
Though a slight caveat. Isn’t the ranking based not on actual sales (because there are none yet as the product isn’t out) but on pre orders which are in some part placed by customers to get the benefit of amazon deals, and which can be cancelled without cost anytime before the book comes out?

 

[jayoungr]

That is jaw-dropping.